PITTSFIELD, Mass. — This Thursday, the Morningside Initiative's Crime Prevention and Public Safety subcommittee will hold a neighborhood watch meeting. People who live, work or own property in the Morningside Initiative area are invited to attend the meeting, which will be held at the Morningside Community School cafeteria, 100 Burbank St., from 6 to 8 p.m.

The Morningside Initiative area includes East Street from Park Square up North Street to Springside Avenue to Benedict Road, to Tyler Street ext. to Woodlawn Avenue, Kellogg Street to Fourth Street around Silver Lake Boulevard, back on East Street returning to Park Square. (If that sounds confusing, here's a map).

The revitalized city Neighborhood Watch program will hold its first block captains' meeting on Thursday, Feb. 18, at 6 p.m. at 61 Main St. in Suite 218. The meeting's being hosted by the Northern Berkshire Community Coalition, Police Department and City Hall.

This meeting has been called in response to the heightened community concern about neighborhood crime and in follow up to the citywide Neighborhood Watch meeting held last Thursday. Anyone interested in being a neighborhood leader and liaison to the Neighborhood Watch Team is encouraged to attend. The captains' meeting will include a discussion of the breakdown of neighborhood areas, organization of neighborhood watch meetings and community communication.

Organizers say the expectation is that from this meeting, captains can return to their communities and begin the implementation of neighborhood watch in their designated areas.

It is important that as many neighborhoods as possible participate and have neighborhood leadership in this community initiative. Call Ashley Benson at the Coalition at 413-663-7588 with questions or if you are considering participating. The meeting is open to the public.